shanty

¹ American  

[shan-tee] / ˈʃæn ti /

noun

plural

shanties

1. a crudely built hut, cabin, or house.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting a shanty or shanties.

   a shanty quarter outside the town walls.

2. of a low economic or social class, especially when living in a shanty.

   shanty people.

verb (used without object)

shantied, shantying

1. to inhabit a shanty.

shanty ² American  

[shan-tee] / ˈʃæn ti /

Also chanty, sometimes shantey

noun

plural

shanties

1. a sailors' song, especially one sung in rhythm to work.

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shanty ¹ British  

/ ˈʃæntɪ /

noun

1. a ramshackle hut; crude dwelling

2. a public house, esp an unlicensed one

3. 1. a log bunkhouse at a lumber camp

   2. the camp itself

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shanty ² British  

/ ˈʃæntɪ, ˈʃæntɪ, ˈtʃæn- /

noun

1. a song originally sung by sailors, esp a rhythmic one forming an accompaniment to work

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Other Word Forms

• shantylike adjective

Etymology

Origin of shanty¹

1810–20; probably < Canadian French chantier lumber camp, hut; French: yard, depot, gantry, stand for barrels < Latin cant ( h ) ērius rafter, prop, literally, horse in poor condition, nag < Greek kanthḗlios pack ass

Origin of shanty²

First recorded 1855–60; alteration of French chanter “to sing”; chant

Example Sentences

Surrounding the area are shanties painted in bright hues - red, blue, green and yellow - which sit one on top of the other like puzzle blocks in a lopsided Tetris game.

From BBC

Sara was thrust into the national spotlight when, in defence of shanty town dwellers, she punched a Davao sheriff in full view of TV news cameras.

From BBC

Despite the archaic language, it has the simplicity of a sea shanty.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even in shanties and makeshift homes, residents pay huge rents.

From Barron's

The blaze broke out in the early hours of the morning in Guryong village, often described as one of the South Korean capital's last remaining shanty towns.

From Barron's

Related Words

• cabin
• cottage
• hut
• lean-to